Libraries in Czech villages and towns are no longer just for borrowing books or magazines. More and more, they are serving as places of learning, interaction between people of different ages, and community building. Below we share how active residents in 3 villages are using libraries to strengthen neighborhood relations and improve their communities.
In Deblin, South Moravia, locals from different villages connected at events in the library
“People we used to recognize just from passing on the street have become familiar faces,” says Tereza Kružíková of the town of Deblin. Last year, she and her neighbors, with the support of Via Foundation, began revitalizing the municipal library and adapting it to serve as a community gathering place. It has been a success: women enjoy monthly “Creative Café” workshop, mothers on maternity leave and their little ones enjoy “Book Games”, all ages come to “Deblin board game nights, trivia quizzes and knowledge competitions, or interesting lecture series. Others come in for coffee and refreshments and a chat. The municipal library has truly become the “village living room” that Deblin’s residents dreamed of.
“What pleases us most is seeing residents of Deblin interacting. People of different ages are connecting and sharing, which is doing a lot of good in our village and for relations between residents. And, people from villages outside of Deblín have taken an interest as well,” notes Tereza Kružíková, adding that they definitely plan to continue the activities they have started and maintain the community spirit of the village.
Brandýs nad Labem library engages the local community in a festival at the castle
“The town of Brandýs nad Labem-Stará Boleslav has more than 20,000 inhabitants, but many of them are newcomers. We’ve had a lot of new housing development in recent years and people who have moved in haven’t had a chance to build a connection to the town and the local community yet,” explained Věra Krajíčková from the Eduard Petišek Library. She and her colleagues applied for a grant from Via Foundation to share local history with residents and strengthen their sense of belonging to Brandýs nad Labem. Last year they organized a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of writer Eduard Petišky, who lived in Brandýs nad Labem.
This year the library is planning another event, the KEPFEST community festival, which will take place on Saturday 28 June at Brandýs Castle. There will be author readings, conversations with captivating individuals from the region and children’s activities, a comic painting workshop and a chill out zone. “Sometimes the library needs to step out of its space and offer an event that is accessible to the general public,” says Věra Krajíčková. New residents, she says, will not only get to know Brandýs Castle and its history, but also each other.
Smilkov has a 21st century library suitable for community life
Even a small community can have a forward-looking library. Smilkov, a village of 260 inhabitants located in the picturesque landscape of Czech Siberia, is proof. Thanks to the initiative of deputy mayor Petra Opičková and librarian Marie Kapounová, the local library has been transformed into a modern space for lending books and for hosting library and community events.
Thanks to a grant from Via Foundation, the Smilov library was able to purchase new kitchen equipment, which local residents, in cooperation with the municipality, installed in the newly renovated premises. “We are most proud of the fact that we were able to carry out this project with our neighbors. Thanks to our joint efforts, our library now has a modern and practical kitchen facility for community events,” says Petra Opičková. She is looking forward to the library being able to host lectures, courses and workshops, literary evenings, exhibitions, film screenings and musical performances. “The space brings new cultural opportunities to our small village that were not available before,” explains Petra Opičková. The transformation of the library into a multifunctional community centre will have a big impact on neighborhood life in Smilkov, she says.
